Warriors: Generation of Shadow
by TheRavenTheory
Summary: Many seasons after the dark forest war, within Shadowclan camp, four new kit's are brought into the world. It's been generations and the dark forest battle is nothing but a legend now, and peace rules the clans; but as sickness spreads through the territories, tensions begins to rise and a new evil awaits in the darkness, poised and ready to strike, and bring that peace to an end.
1. Allegiances

**Shadowclan:**

 **Leader:**

 **Shadestar:** Dark brown and white tom with striking blue eyes.

 **Deputy:**

 **Heatherpool:** Cream tabby she cat with brown ears.

 **Medicine Cat:**

 **Duskshine:** Dark tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

 **Warriors:**

 **Nettleheart:** Ginger she-cat with blue eyes.

 **Thrushtail:** Cream tom with brown fluffy tail.

 **Ivynose:** Gray and white tom with a pink nose.

 **Icegaze:** White tom with blue eyes.

 **Stoatpelt:** Brown and white tom.

 **Lilyfoot:** White she-cat with light brown paws and tail.

 **Apprentice: Maplepaw**

 **Badgerstripe:** Black-gray and white tom with large paws.

 **Mudstep:** Shaggy brown tom with black paws.

 **Birchleaf:** Ginger and brown she-cat with green eyes.

 **Fadewing:** Light brown tom with blue eyes.

 **Toadheart:** Dark gray tom with amber eyes.

 **Lizardtail:** Pale ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

 **Ravenwing:** Sturdy black tom with blue eyes.

 **Apprentice: Mosspaw**

 **Flamewhisker:** Small ginger and white tom with green eyes.

 **Apprentices:**

 **Mosspaw:** Brown and white she-cat with green eyes.

 **Maplepaw:** Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes.

 **Queens:**

 **Heavycloud:** Dark tabby she-cat with dark green eyes.

 **Willowheart:** Dark brown she cat with a white chest and bright green eyes. (Mother to Falconkit, a pale brown tom with one dark paw, and Eaglekit, a dark brown she-kit)

 **Marshflower:** Silver tabby she cat with amber eyes. (Mother to Redkit, a dark ginger tom, Emberkit a light ginger and grey she-kit, Crowkit, a black she-kit, Moonkit, a silver tabby tom)

 **Elders:**

 **Poppyheart:** Calico she cat with amber eyes.

 **Squirrelpelt:** Dark ginger tom with blue eyes.

 **Honeyfang:** Ginger she cat with amber eyes.

 **Skyclan:**

 **Leader:**

 **Quailstar:** Speckled pale tom with yellow eyes and a white chest.

 **Deputy:**

 **Fleetfur:** Silver and white tabby tom with blue eyes.

 **Medicine Cat:**

 **Branchfall:** Skinny brown tabby tom with blue eyes.

 **Warriors:**

 **Goosewing:** Brown and black she-cat with a white neck and chest.

 **Fogfur:** Gray tom with brown eyes.

 **Dewpelt:** Mottled brown and white she-cat with green eyes.

 **Apprentice: Rainpaw**

 **Snaketail:** Black tom with a white tail.

 **Quickfoot:** Pale ginger tabby tom with white tail and one white paw.

 **Swiftstep:** Cream tabby tom with yellow eyes.

 **Seedwhisker:** Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes.

 **Apprentice: Hailpaw**

 **Vineclaw:** White she-cat with green eyes and striped tail.

 **Apprentice: Dawnpaw**

 **Smokecloud** : Black and gray tom with blue eyes.

 **Beestripe:** Ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes.

 **Waspfang:** Dark tabby tom with green eyes and white muzzle.

 **Apprentices:**

 **Rainpaw:** Dark gray spotted tom with green eyes.

 **Hailpaw:** White tom with blue eyes and striped tabby tail.

 **Dawnpaw:** Cream she-cat with bright amber eyes.

 **Queens:**

 **Strikesong:** Pale she-cat with black tail, paws, and ears. Has green eyes. (Mother to Snowkit, a white tom with one black ear, and Birdkit, a black tom with one white ear.)

 **Elders:**

 **Thunderclan:**

 **Leader:**

 **Rosestar:** Cream she-cat with light green eyes.

 **Deputy:**

 **Ferntail:** Golden tabby tom with green eyes.

 **Apprentice: Mousepaw**

 **Medicine Cat:**

 **Sweetberry:** Dappled ginger and cream she-cat with blue eyes.

 **Warriors:**

 **Echopool:** Dark gray she-cat with hazel eyes.

 **Hollowstep:** Dark gray tom with green eyes.

 **Pinefoot:** Brown tabby tom with blue eyes.

 **Apprentice: Sparkpaw**

 **Tawnyheart:** Tortoiseshell she-cat with black tail and muzzle. Bright blue eyes.

 **Wolfclaw:** Cream tom with dark brown patches and amber eyes.

 **Appleleaf:** Ginger and brown she-cat with amber eyes.

 **Lightningstrike:** Pale ginger tom with bright amber eyes.

 **Featherfur:** Silvery gray she-cat with white spots. Green eyes.

 **Oakpelt:** Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.

 **Ratfang:** Gray tom with a white muzzle and tail.

 **Deernose:** Brown and white tom.

 **Spidereye:** Black she-cat with brown eyes.

 **Apprentices:**

 **Sparkpaw:** Dark brown she-cat with yellow eyes.

 **Mousepaw:** Light brown she-cat with amber eyes.

 **Queens:**

 **Fallowheart:** Light gray she-cat with long fur and green eyes.

 **Elders:**

 **Brackentail:** Ginger tabby tom with amber eyes.

 **Riverclan:**

 **Leader:**

 **Petalstar:** White she-cat with gray patches and a pink nose.

 **Deputy:**

 **Lichenspot:** Mottled brown tabby tom with white spots.

 **Medicine Cat:**

 **Ripplepelt:** Fluffy silver tabby tom with a white tail and green eyes.

 **Apprentice: Blackpaw**

 **Warriors:**

 **Fishleap:** Ginger and cream tom with blue eyes.

 **Frogleap:** Brown tom with amber eyes.

 **Reedclaw:** Black tom with yellow eyes.

 **Shallowstream:** Pale gray she-cat with black underbelly and amber eyes.

 **Ducktail:** White tom with a stubbed black tail and amber eyes.

 **Apprentices:**

 **Blackpaw:** Black she-cat with white back and blue-green eyes.

 **Queens:**

 **Mistpelt:** Silver she-cat with a wispy tail. (Mother of Wildkit, a white and black stripped tom, Splashkit a silver and black tom, and Frostkit, a silver she-kit)

 **Silverdawn:** White and Silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes. (Mother to Minnowkit, a white she-kit, and Turtlekit, a tortoiseshell she-kit)

 **Goldflower:** Golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

 **Elders:**

 **Otterfang:** Old thinning brown tom with large fangs. Amber eyes.

 **Stormpelt:** Mottled gray she-cat with white patches and silver eyes.

 **Windclan:**

 **Leader:**

 **Duststar:** Dusky brown she-cat with amber eyes.

 **Apprentice: Darkpaw**

 **Deputy:**

 **Pebblestorm:** Mottled gray she-cat with blue eyes.

 **Medicine-cat:**

 **Moorpelt:** Mottled gray tom with light green eyes.

 **Warriors:**

 **Breezeheart:** Skinny golden she-cat.

 **Hawkfeather:** Brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

 **Apprentice: Foxpaw**

 **Whitewhisker:** Brown tom with a white muzzle and paws.

 **Stonecloud:** Dark gray tom with silver eyes.

 **Sleekfur:** Skinny dark gray tom with amber eyes.

 **Apprentice: Lightpaw**

 **Palesand:** Cream tom with brown eyes.

 **Sunpelt:** Long-furred dark ginger she-cat with yellow eyes.

 **Brightflower:** Undersized light ginger she-cat.

 **Barkclaw:** Brown tabby tom with long claws.

 **Webtail:** Pale gray and white tabby she-cat.

 **Apprentices:**

 **Foxpaw:** Tall ginger and white tom.

 **Lightpaw:** White tom with blue eyes.

 **Darkpaw:** Tabby she-cat with bold dark stripes and brown eyes.

 **Queens:**

 **Rabbittail:** Soft gray she-cat with white paws and a white-tipped tail.

 **Elders:**

 **Twigtail:** Gray-brown tabby tom with a skinny tail.


	2. Prologue

The wind rustled softly against the pine trees as the cats of Shadowclan slept soundly under the glow of the moon. Ivynose and Nettleheart, ears pricked and alert, sat vigil for the clan. Amidst the brambles slept a plump queen, belly swollen with unborn kits.

In the shadows of the nursery, a small dark shape darts across the den floor to nudge a curious paw against the silver flank of a pregnant queen. The sleeping queen shifted, blinking open drowsy amber eyes at her disturber. Seeing only a small brown fluff by her side, green eyes wide and curious staring at her, she huffs a small laugh before closing her eyes once more to continue her rest.

"Come on kits, don't you want to see the world? Come on and be born already!" A small voice echoed in the dark, a small brown shekit awake amongst her sleeping clanmates.

In a nearby nest, the small kit's mother stirred, "Eaglekit." she murmured. "Come back to the nest, you'll wake up poor Marshflower, she needs her sleep while she can get it. Once those kits are born I promise you she won't be getting nearly enough."

"Okay, Willowheart." Sighed the small kit dejectedly, curling back up against her mother and brother Falconkit. The silence did not last long however. "Willowheart? When will Marshflower's kits arrive? I want someone to play with!"

"They could arrive any night now, but it won't matter because it will be a while before you can play with them. They won't even have their eyes open for half a moon or so, besides you have your brother to play with."

"But he's _boring_!" Eaglekit huffed in annoyance, glaring pointedly at her brother, blissfully unaware of the insult as he snoozed away.

"Sleep young one, you'll have new playmates soon, but keeping Marshflower awake isn't going to get them here any sooner." The young kit let out a tired yawn in agreement, and once again curled up against her mother, the soft purrs of her brother and fellow clanmates lulling her to sleep.

Outside the nursery, in a hollow lined by coniferous trees, their boughs heavy with thick green needles, the remainder of Shadowclan remained unaware of the disturbance wrought by one tiny kit. Nettleheart, a ginger she-cat with icy-blue eyes, paces along the edge of the camp, flicking her tail across Ivynose's muzzle, her eyes glimmering with a joke only known to her. Ivynose, one of the more stoic toms in the clan simply grumbled under his breath, rolled his eyes at his clanmate's antics, and then continued his serious vigil, staring silently into the shadowed tree's for any potential threats to his clan.

Next to the nursery the apprentices, Mosspaw and Maplepaw snored away, dreaming of hunts and battles to come in which they could prove their skill. Next to them the warriors den, where the clan's most experienced toms and she-cats slept away. One of the warriors, Flamewhisker, twitched in his light slumber, subconsciously prepared to startle awake if his mate Marshflower started kitting; Ravenwing, their other mate, slept more soundly, sprawled out over Flamewhisker like an oversized swathe of moss on a rock.

Farther along the camp hollow, beneath a stunted hazel tree, lies the leader and elders' dens. Beyond thus, hidden amongst the dark pines, a sandy floor and scattering of leafy ferns serves the medicine cat Duskshine, as a proper medicine cat's den and holly. Currently, the dark tabby she-cat is fast asleep, exhausted from her day's work of healing her clanmates.

Over the past seasons, leaders have came and gone, Starclan has gained many new souls, and Shadowclan had grown and finally began to untangle themselves from their clan's dark history and the perceptions that came along with it. Many generations have passed since the battle with the dark forest. No cat that had been a part of it still lived, only the countless legends and stories passed from queen to kit, mentor to apprentice. The current leader, Shadestar, was descended from Rowanstar and the legendary warrior Tawnypelt. He made sure to keep the stories of battle alive, and the memories of sins committed fresh, so that his clan would not forget the past treacheries committed, and thus learn from them, and strive to make Shadowclan a clan that truly lived by the warrior code, one more forgiving and understanding of a changing time.

Above the curling brambles and pines, the moon shone brightly against the dark sky. Almost completely full, a gathering would soon take place on the nearby island, shared with the other three clans surrounding the lake. If the clan was lucky, they would have the birth of new kits to celebrate with the other clans. For now though, the camp remained quiet and at peace, nothing but the occasional muffled snicker from Nettleheart as she continued to tease her irritable clanmate, the soft snores of warriors, and the creaky wheezing of the elders could be heard above the soft rustling of the pine trees in the cool night breeze.

Quick, heaving breaths sounded from the nursery as the plump silver she-cat, Marshflower, groaned, her muscles spasming to bring her kits into the world. The low hanging branches above the nursery offered shade from the burning sun - now high in the sky, and the brambles sheltered her from the chilly wind.

"You're doing great, Marshflower!" Heavycloud murmured encouragingly from beside the nest. The dark tabby she-cat had no current kits of her own, but had decided to stay in the nursery after her last litter had become apprentices, feeling more of use to help out new mothers with their kits instead.

Willowheart had, thankfully, taken a too curious Eaglekit and Falconkit outside to play in the camp, leaving more room for Duskshine, the clan's medicine cat, to help her through her kitting.

"Is she okay? Is everything going smoothly? Oh, it shouldn't be taking this long right?!" A worried voice sounded outside the den, recognized easily as one of the expectant father's, Flamewhisker.

"Flamewhisker, _calm down_ , Duskshine knows what she is doing, and Marshflower is a healthy strong she-cat. Have patience. I want to meet our kits as much as you do, but pestering Duskshine isn't going to make them come any faster." Ravenwing laughed silently, but you could still hear the worried edge in his voice.

"Everything is going perfectly." Duskshine meowed through the entrance of the nursery. "These things just take time, but Marshflower is moving along beautifully. Look! Here comes the first kit now!"

A small, gray shape slid into the soft bedding of the nursery, and Duskshine moved quickly to nip at the amniotic sack, then licked the tiny kit's chest and face to get it's breathing started. The small kit, a tom, mewled in protest, as he gasped his first breath of air.

"A healthy tom, he looks just like you, Marshflower." Duskshine purred, moving the small tom to his mother's belly. He began kneading almost immediately, and Duskshine laughed, "He'll be just fine," before turning back to the queen's side to help her with her other kits.

Soon after, two more kits came into the world, a feisty black she-kit, who growled defiantly against her mother's warm tongue, and a satisfied little ginger and gray she-kit, who purred happily as she was nestled at her mother's side.

Duskshine pressed her paw against Marshflower's rippling side, cocking her head to the side before murmuring, "Just one more, Marshflower." Her tongue rasped over the tired queens left ear. "You're doing wonderfully, soon you and your mates will meet your new additions to your family."

Marshflower, too exhausted to reply, just grimaced at a particularly painful spasm, stronger than the others. The final kit was coming, a stubborn little warrior who seemed unready to join his siblings.

"Just a couple more pushes, you're almost there, this little one is bigger than their littermates, so he might be causing a bit more trouble, but you're almost there."

Marshflower, instead of replying, let out a wail of anguish as a final spasm slammed her body, her muscles contorting and pushing, until the final kit, a dark ginger tom, slid out of her in a gush of fluid. Duskshine made quick work of his amniotic sack, and soon the little tom was nestled against his littermates, sucking hungrily at his mother's belly for the warm milk that awaited him.

Once making sure Marshflower and the kits were all happy and healthy, Duskshine made room for the two fathers to join Marshflower in the nursery. The two hardened, battle-scarred toms, cooing cutely at their new kits, made quite a sight for Duskshine, who left the warriors to greet their new family.

"They're beautiful." Ravenwing breathed quietly, pride engulfing his tone, his blue eyes bright with love as he curled around Marshflower, his tail tangling with Flamewhiskers', who nestled in front of his kits, green eyes wide with adoration.

"I'm so proud of you." Flamewhisker murmured, the praise directed at Marshflower, but he didn't take his eyes off his kits.

"We should name them, while I can still think." Marshflower laughed softly, tenderly grooming her kits.

"He looks just like you, Marshflower." Flamewhisker meowed, pointing out the first born, a small, gray tabby tom, a replica of his mother. "I wonder if he will have your amber eyes, as well."

"Not that we will know for a few moons, all their eyes will be blue for a while." Ravenwing laughed.

Marshflower paused, giving it some thought. "Moonkit." She decided, his soft silver pelt reminded her of the comforting glow during the night.

"Moonkit, it's perfect." Ravenwing nodded, Flamewhisker hummed along in agreement.

"How about this little warrior, he looks like me? Though a little darker, sure." Flamewhisker said, a smile evident in his mew as he gestured to the ginger tom, larger than his siblings.

"Though judging by his size, he will certainly be bigger than you, Flamewhisker." Ravenwing goaded the small ginger and white tom laying in front of him. Flamewhisker always had been sensitive about his tiny stature.

"Well let's just hope he doesn't get your brains!" Flamewhisker hissed at his mate, Ravenwing simply burst out in laughter at the attempted insult.

"I just hope he ends up as cute as you." Ravenwing mewed, eyes alive with mirth. Marshflower chuckled, gazing at her mates with love.

Flamewhisker glared at Ravenwing - though his gaze lacked the heat of actual anger, before nudging the small tom. "Redkit." He meowed, leaving no room for discussion.

"Well since you two get to pick your own names for them, without my opinion, I'll just name this one myself, if none of you object." Ravenwing pouted slightly, before gesturing to the small black she-kit who looked like a little copy of him. "Ravenkit,"

"We are not naming her after you, you _big headed_ -!" Flamewhisker was cut off by a sigh from his black furred mate as he pondered their daughter. "Fine, her name will be Crowkit." He compromised, trailing his tail down the tiny kits side, their coloring an exact match.

Flamewhisker rolled his eyes, "Barely any different, you giant oaf, but that name will do, just as well." The small ginger and white tom agreed.

"Now what is that supposed to mean-"

"If you two mouse brains would stop bickering for a few moments, we can name our last daughter together." Marshflower interjected, before her two mates could get into another one of their verbal spars.

"She sure is feisty." Ravenwing noted, as the small ginger and gray she-kit meowed in complaint as her littermates tousled around her. Her small paws swiped at the air as the little kit couldn't see what she was aiming for.

"A little spitfire." Flamewhisker agreed, as his daughter hissed softly at her father when he tried nudging her with his nose.

"Emberkit." Marshflower purred gently looking at her two mates.

"Emberkit," Ravenwing christened her with a nod, "It's perfect, this little ember will spark up a lot of trouble for herself, just you wait." He mewed happily.

"Just like her father." Flamewhisker huffed, curling his tail over his front paws. Ravenwing chuckled, "Now Flamewhisker, sure you caused a lot of trouble for us as apprentices, but don't be so hard on yourself!"

"Why you mouse brained-"

Marshflower sighed at her two bickering mates, deciding to ignore them and instead nestle against her new litter of kits.

"Moonkit, Redkit, Crowkit, Emberkit, good luck with those two as father's, I'm not sure even having me as a mother will balance out their absurdity." She huffed lightly. "Well, little ones, welcome to Shadowclan."


End file.
